A fresh take on the classic Middle Eastern fattoush salad – piled high with crunchy baked flatbread ribbons which is everybody’s favourite part! This has a wonderful authentic lemon dressing with extra zest from sumac and warmth of paprika. The juicy chunks of tomato and cucumber with lightly pickled red onion and fresh herbs are a perfect contrast to the crunchy ribbons. Made from scratch and on the table in 15 minutes!
This salad is satisfying enough to be a complete meal because I like to pile on alot of flatbread ribbons – it’s my favourite part! So I used 2 whole flatbreads which makes this quite a satisfying meal for 2, or a side salad or appetizer for 4.
The flatbread I use is called Lebanese Bread here in Australia and it is like pita bread in that it is a “pocket” (i.e. double layer) but it is larger – around 10 inches/25 cm diameter and slightly thinner than pita bread. It is perfect to use as a wrap because it is pliable.
Because it is pliable, it’s super fast to cut them into ribbons – all you do is roll it up then cut into strips. Most of the double layers separate when you toss it with the olive oil creating double the amount of crunchy ribbons! If you were to make this with single layer flatbread (more akin to a crepe) or smaller pita breads, I would recommend using 3 or 4 pieces to get the same volume.
Because this salad is so packed full of flavour, it only needs a simple side of grilled protein to make a complete meal – like a fillet of fish with a squeeze of lemon. But as I mentioned earlier, because there is so much flatbread in this salad, I think it makes a filling meal in itself.
A great spin on a classic Middle Eastern salad to file away in your RecipeTin app!
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Fattoush With Crunchy Flatbread Ribbons
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes , each cut into 8 to 12 wedges
- 2 cucumbers , each cut into 12 sticks
- 1/2 red onion , finely sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup mint leaves (if leaves are large, roughly tear by hand)
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves
- 2 lebanese flatbreads (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sumac
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
- Roll up the flatbread then cut into thin slices. Use your fingers to loosen them into a pile of "ribbons".
- Pile onto a baking tray, drizzle over olive oil and a couple of pinches of salt, then use your fingers to coat all the ribbons with the oil.
- Bake in oven for 3 minutes, then remove tray and move the ribbons around a bit so they bake evenly. At this stage some of the ribbons will not yet be crisp. Turn the oven OFF, then return the tray into the oven for a couple of minutes. This will make all the ribbons crisp without over browning them.
- While the ribbons are baking, combine the red onion in a small bowl with 1 tbsp lemon juice and pinch of salt. Set aside - it lightly pickles and removes some of the acidity from the onion.
- Combine the dressing ingredients.
- Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, mint and coriander leaves in a small bowl. Squeeze excess juice from the lemons, and add to the bowl.
- Pour over dressing and toss gently to combine - you may not need all the dressing.
- Transfer salad onto a platter then pile on the crunchy flatbread ribbons.
- Sprinkle with extra sumac.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Not a salad person but this was the best salad ever.. Added some Greek feta and left the bread. Enjoyed it so much.
Hello Nagi,
At stage 7, do you mean squeeze out excess lemon from onion?
Thank you
Hi Sameera! Actually I was just trying to be frugal and use up any remaining juice left in the lemon!
I absolutely loove fattoush! So fresh and tasty 🙂
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I agree!! Love the extra crunch in this version!
I love this idea
I had not thought of making those ribbons and I think they will be lovely with many salads and roasted vegetables as there is always just…..something (?) missing and here it is!
I’m so glad you like the look of this! I actually got the idea from an Australian Chef – Karen Martini – who does something similar. 🙂 I hope you consider trying it!! It’s almost like a crunchy noodle salad – but BETTER!! 🙂
I wish I knew what sumac tastes like. Never had this fattoush before, never even heard of it prior to this. And so that’t what the flatbread was for! I loooove what you did with it. It’s always great to have fried/baked crispy stuff on a salad.